More than 150 student-athletes and administrators attended the Division II Student-Athlete Advisory Committee Super Region Convention from April 14-16 in Pittsburgh.
The event brought participants together from the Atlantic and East regions to develop plans to better support mental health and the student-athlete voice on their campuses and in their conferences.
"It was informative and engaging. It differed from being in class, as I could connect with other student-athletes, share my story and listen to others," said Troy Joseph, a men's basketball player at Virginia Union. "Being at the SAAC Super Region Convention motivated me to fight for the voice of student-athletes and make a change in the campus atmosphere."
During the three-day convention, participants engaged with experts in leadership, mental health, social justice and the student-athlete voice. Each day included a project planning session on mental health or the student-athlete voice, culminating with project presentations on the final day. Attendees left with plans of action to bring back to their campuses.
"The DII SAAC Super Region Convention is always such an amazing event. This past super region was the third time I was able to attend this event, and every time I am reminded why I am so honored to be a part of DII," said Emma Kramer, a basketball player at Simon Fraser and chair of the Division II Student-Athlete Advisory Committee. "The energy and passion for bettering the student-athlete experience that was displayed by all the attendees was amazing. One of my favorite parts of this event is always connecting with other student-athletes and hearing the ideas they have to make their college experiences and the experiences of their teammates better."
Carlin Chesick, senior associate commissioner and senior woman administrator at the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference, shared similar enthusiasm for the event.
"This is the second time I have had the opportunity to attend the Division II SAAC Super Region Convention, and it is one of, if not the best, things we do in Division II for our student-athletes. The weekend highlights our strengths as a division but more importantly digs deeper into the real issues our student-athletes are dealing with day-to-day, from mental health and social justice issues to finding and using their voice and life after their sports careers end," she said. "They were able to connect with their peers from their conference to create action plans to bring back to their institutional SAAC to effect real change at the campus level. Our student-athletes left the SAAC convention with valuable tools and a vision to put their plans into action on their respective campuses."
Chesick was among the more than 50 administrators to go through the programming with the student-athletes. Administrators also got the opportunity to have their own breakout sessions to discuss and share ideas to improve the student-athlete experience on their campuses.
"For me, the administrator breakout sessions created a space to share, learn and foster dialogue with an engaging group of coaches and administrators from across the region about some very critical topics that impact the well-being of our student-athletes," said Jaime Browne, associate athletics director at Queens (New York). "I plan to work with our campus SAAC and by extension our student-athletes to create spaces for our student-athletes to be heard, seen and supported through collaborative programming with internal and external entities. I also plan to engage our campus teammates in leadership roles to make them aware of the volume of the mental health conversation and some of the challenges shared by student-athletes over the weekend to highlight the importance of coaches and staff becoming mental health certified."
During the three-day event, participants from the Atlantic and East regions developed action plans to better support mental health and the student-athlete voice on their campuses and in their conferences.
A roundtable discussion kicked off the weekend's focus on the student-athlete voice. The discussion featured two former student-athletes who are now athletics administrators: Alex Shillow, a former football player at Texas A&M-Commerce and current assistant athletics director for development at North Texas, and Ashley Beaton Simpson, a former volleyball player at Illinois Springfield and current assistant athletics director for student-athlete success at Wisconsin-Parkside.
"Our voice matters, and with that comes responsibility. We, as students, athletes and members of our respective communities, have a responsibility to help foster environments that are welcoming for our peers and for everyone that is to come in the future," said Chari Konomi, a men's soccer player at Goldey-Beacom, of his main takeaway from the convention. "I had the pleasure to meet student-athletes and administrators that were very insightful. It opened up so many opportunities for collaboration and learning."
Presenter Ivy Watts, a former Division II track and field student-athlete at New Haven who graduated with a degree in psychology, focused her session on mental health. A former All-American who faced mental health struggles as an athlete, she now promotes mental wellness and tries to reduce the stigma around mental health by sharing her story through public speaking and her blog, Beautifully Simply You.
"Ivy Watts is a sensational presenter who uses her story to help make other student-athletes not feel alone in their struggles," Kramer said. "The smaller group discussions within the conferences regarding student-athlete mental health were so impactful, and it was great to see the attendees so passionate about this topic."
Attendees also discussed the transition out of athletics and how to better prepare student-athletes for it.Former Wisconsin standout Jonathan Orr, who spent two seasons in the NFL before starting a company focused on helping athletes transition out of sports, spoke on the topic.
"It was encouraging to see the student-athletes take such an active role in discussing topics including mental health, belongingness on campus and life after the game," said Bennett Cherry, faculty athletics representative at Cal State San Marcos. "All in all, it was a timely reminder for me of why I do this as part of my faculty role. These student leaders are the future, and it's looking brighter with them at the helm."
Justin Patton, a leadership coach, was the keynote speaker. His address, "It Starts With You," focused on how student-athletes can become leaders, the importance of body language and first impressions, and skills to become a better listener and leader.
Additionally, student-athletes and administrators learned more about Division II's work with Make-A-Wish and Team IMPACT. They were joined by a Make-A-Wish recipient, who shared the impact of her wish reveal, and members of a Team IMPACT family, who talked about their experience with East Stroudsburg's softball team. Attendees also participated in a community engagement activity in which they painted hearts for those experiencing grief, trauma and loss through the Hearts of Hope healing art program.
This event was Division II's fifth SAAC Super Region Convention since the initiative began in 2017. The next gathering is planned for Nov. 17-19 in Atlanta. It will welcome attendees from Conference Carolinas, the Gulf South Conference, Peach Belt Conference, South Atlantic Conference, Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference, Sunshine State Conference and the super region's independent schools.
Division II SAAC members helped execute the super region convention, the fifth held since the initiative began in 2017.
